Strap buckle and tightener



March 29, 1966 A. TAKO 3,242,542

STRAP BUCKLE AND TIGHTENER Filed Oct. 8, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 29,1966 A. TAKO 3,242,542

STRAP BUCKLE AND TIGHTENER Filed Oct. 8, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [nz/enia1 CZnZ /wm ZZZ/C0,

United States Patent 3,242,542 STRAP BUCKLE AND TIGHTENER Anthony Take,North Lake, 111., assignor to A. .I. Gerrard Manufacturing Company, DesPlaines, 111., a corporation of Illinois Filed Oct. 8, 1954, Ser. No.402,435 3 Claims. (Ci. 24-68) My present invention relates generally tobuckles for securing together the ends of flexible strap employed inpacking operations, and more particularly to strap buckles for securingtogether the ends of flexible resilient strap, fabricated of a materialsuch as nylon, looped around a box, bale or like package.

Objects of my present invention include the provision of a type of strapbuckle, as described, which is operable to tension the strap after thelatter has been disposed about the package and loosely associated withthe buckle, which is operable to tension the strap about a package byfolding overlapping portions of the strap back upon themselves, whichmay be readily locked in a strap tensioning position for securelymaintaining the strap under tension, which in tensioning positionprevents the strap from shifting sidewise relative to the buckle, whichmay be readily associated with strap being withdrawn from a roll ofstrapping material, and which will lie substantially flat on the packagewhen in strap tensioning position.

The strap buckle of my present invention basically comprises anelongated leg portion, a locking finger portion extending from the legportion adjacent one end thereof and a pair of arm portions extendingfrom the leg portion and being spaced apart whereby to define a strapreceiving slot open on one side. In one embodiment of my presentinvention, the locking finger portion lies substantially in the sameplane as the arm portion of the buckle and is disposable intermediatethe object and the strap for maintaining the buckle in a straptensioning position. In other embodiments of my present invention, thelocking finger lies in a plane substantially perpendicular to the planeof the arm portions and is disposable within the object itself formaintaining the buckle in a strap tensioning position. In one of thelatter embodiments of my present invention, the strap buckle isfabricated of wire.

It is a feature of my present invention that the embodiment of bucklewherein the locking finger and arm portions lie in a common plane may beformed with two spaced apertures for receiving the ends of an implementthat may be manipulated for angula-rly shifting the buckle whereby toeffect disposal of the locking finger intermediate the object and thestrap after the latter has been placed under tension.

Now in order to acquaint those skilled in the art with the manner ofmaking and using strap buckles in accordance with the principles of mypresent invention, 1 shall describe in connection with the accompanyngdrawings, preferred embodiments of my invention.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of one embodiment of strap buckle of my presentinvention;

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view of a strap loosely disposed about apackage and associated with the strap buckle of FIGURE 1 which is shownin longitudinal section;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the buckle and strap of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary elevational view of a strap disposed about apackage and placed under tension with the strap buckle of FIGURE 1 whichis shown in longitudinal section;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the buckle and strap ofFIGURE 4, and of the lower portion of an implement for effecting angularshifting of the buckle;

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FIGURE 6 is an elevational view of the implement shown in part in FIGURE5;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary plan view of a strap with the buckle of FIGURE1 being locked in strap tensioning position;

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary elevational view of a strap disposed about apackage and locked under tension with the strap buckle of FIGURE 1 whichis shown in longitudinal section;

FIGURE 9 is a perspective view of another embodi ment of strap buckle ofmy present invention;

FIGURE 10 is an elevational view of a strap loosely disposed about apackage and associated with the strap buckle of FIGURE 9 which is shownin longitudinal section;

FIGURE 11 is a fragmentary plan view of the buckle and strap of FIGURE10;

FIGURE 12 is a fragmentary elevation-a1 View of a strap disposed about apackage and being placed under tension with the strap buckle of FIGURE 9which is shown in longitudinal section;

FIGURE 13 is a fragmentary elevational view of a strap disposed about apackage and held under tension, with the strap buckle of FIGURE 9, whichis shown in longitudinal section, being locked in strap tensioningposition;

FIGURE 14 is a fragmentary plan view of the buckle and strap of FIGURE13; and

FIGURE 15 is a perspective view of a still further embodiment of strapbuckle of my present invention.

Referring now to FIGURES l and 5, there is indicated generally by thereference numeral 10 one embodiment of strap buckle of any presentinvention. The generally fiat buckle '10 comprises an elongated legportion 12 with a locking finger portion 14 joined at one end to the legportion 12 adjacent one end thereof substantially perpendicularlythereto. The finger portion 14, adjacent the outer end thereof, is upsetto form an abutment 16.

Extending substantially perpendicularly from the leg portion 12 in thesame direction as the finger portion 14 are a pair of arm portions 18and 20. These arm portions, which at their one ends are joined to theleg portion 12, are spaced apart whereby to define a slot 22therebetween which is open on one side. The arm portion 18 is formedwith a recess 24 in the side edge thereof facing away from the slot 22,and the arm portion 24} has a corresponding recess 26 formed in the sideedge thereof facing away from the slot 22. In addition, the outer cornerportion 28 of the arm 20 facing the slot 22 extends obliquely whereby toenlarge the entrance of the slot 22. Finally, a pair of implementreceiving apertures 30 and 32 are formed respectively in the leg portion12 adjacent the finger portion 14 and in the armpo-rtion 18 adjacent theouter end thereof. In order to minimize fabrication costs, the buckle 10is preferably formed or stamped in one integral piece from a sheet orstrip of metal.

The manner of lacing or associating a strap with the buckle 10 during abanding operation may be best understood by referring to FIGURES 2 and3. After the buckle 10 has been disposed adjacent the surface of apackage or object 42 to be banded with the upset end 16 facingdownwardly, flexible strap 44 is drawn from a supply roll 46. The buckle10 is especially adapted for use with resilient nylon strapping materialproduced from Dyrnetrol. In accordance with one procedure, the free end48 of the strap 44 is first fed upwardly through the slot 22 and thendownwardly and under the locking finger 14, and, after being drawnaround the package 42, is again fed upwardly through the slot 22 anddownwardly under the locking finger 14, whereby portions of the strap 44adjacent the buckle 10 are disposed in overlapping relation.Alternatively, and if desired, the strap 44 may be first looped looselyabout an object 42 and the buckle 10 then slid sidewise into theposition shown in FIGURE 3. In this connection, the oblique corner 28 ofthe arm portion 20 serves to accommodate and facilitate association ofthe strap 44 with the buckle 10. At this point in the bandingoperationafter the strap 44 has been looped through the slot 22, thesection of the strap 44 leading from the supply roll 46 is manuallypulled in the direction of the roll 46 so as to draw the band 44 tautabout the package 42.

To place the strap 44, which is disposed about the package 42, undertension, the end of the buckle 10 adjacent the finger portion 14 israised upwardly and the buckle 10 is swung in a direction lengthwise ofthe strap 44 through approximately 180 degrees. During such swingingmovement of the buckle 10, the end thereof adjacent the recess 24 servesas a fulcrum point. An intermediate swingable position of the buckle 10is shown in dash lines in FIGURE 2, and the terminal swingable, or straptensioning, position of the buckle 10 is shown in solid lines in FIGURES4 and 5. As best shown in FIGURE 4, swinging movement of the buckle 10serves to gather, or to fold back upon themselves, the overlappingportions of the strap 44 adjacent the slot 22, where by the strap 44 isplaced in tension about the package 42.

In order to lock the buckle 10 in its strap tensioning position, thebuckle is shifted or pivoted angularly from the solid line positionshown in FIGURE 5 to the dash line position shown in FIGURE 7 until theouter edge of the finger portion 14 clears the strap 44. Then, thefinger portion 14 is pressed downwardly toward the package 42 and isinserted or disposed intermediate of the package 42 under strap 44, withthe buckle 10 being simultaneously moved from the dash line positionshown in FIGURE 7 to the solid line position shown in FIGURES 7 and 8.Angular shifting movement of the buckle 10 may be accomplished by theuse of an implement, such as a pair of wire cutters, indicated generallyby the reference numeral 50 in FIGURE 6. The implement 50 has a pair ofarms 52 formed with pin portions 54 at the outer ends thereof which areadapted to be received in the buckle apertures 30 and 32 as indicated inFIGURE 5. After the pins 54 have been dis posed in the apertures 30 and32, the implement 50 may be twisted or manipulated manually forangularly shifting the buckle whereby to effect disposal of the lockingfinger 14 intermediate the object 42 and the strap 44. In straptensioning position, the buckle 10 lies substantially flat on thepackage.

When the buckle 10 is located in the position shown in FIGURES 7 and 8,the abutment 16 of the locking finger 14 and the edges of the legportions 18 and 20 defining the recesses 24 and 26 are engageable withthe edges of the strap 44 for preventing the strap from shiftingsidewise relative to, or sliding away from, the buckle 10 and becomingdislodged from the finger portion 14. After the buckle 10 has beenlocked in strap tensioning position, the strap 44 may be cut from theroll 46. Although the buckle 10 is adapted to be readily laced withstrap being withdrawn from a roll of strapping material, it is to beunderstood that the buckle may also be used with strap p-re-cut tolength. The buckle 10 may be adjusted on, or removed from, a bandedassembly by pressing down on the end of the buckle adjacent the fingerportion 14 until the abutment 16 clears the edges of the adjacentoverlapping band portions, moving the buckle sidewise to the dash lineposition shown in FIGURE 7, and permitting the buckle to swing backtoward the position shown in solid lines in FIGURE 2 whereupon the strap44 is released from tension. Then, for adjustment the strap may be urgedtaut and the-buckle returned to strap tensioning position, or forremoval the ends of the strap may be unlaced from the buckle or thebuckle slid sidewise away from engagement with the band. It will beappreciated that the strap buckle 10 of my present invention may bereadily disposed in, and released from, strap tensioning position withor without the use of tools.

Referring now to FIGURE 9, there is indicated generally by the referencenumeral another embodiment of strap buckle of my present invention. Thebuckle 60 comprises an elongated leg portion 62 with a pair of armportions 64 and 66 extending substantially perpendicularly therefrom andbeing spaced apart whereby to define a slot 68 therebetween which isopen on one side. The buckle 60 further comprises an arcuate locking oranchor finger portion 70 extending from the leg portion 62 and lying ina plane generally perpendicular to the plane of the arm portions 64 and66. The outer end of the finger 70 is formed with a point or spearhead72. To minimize fabrication costs, the buckle 60 is preferably formed orstamped in one integral piece from a sheet or strip of metal.

As best illustrated in FIGURES 10 and 11, the buckle 10, with the finger70 pointing upwardly, may be disposed adjacent the surface of acontainer 74 constructed of wood or a similar material. Flexible strap76, which may be drawn from a supply roll (not shown) or precut tolength and which may be fabricated from resilient nylon materialproduced from Dymetrol, is then looped about the container 74 andassociated with the buckle 60. In one procedure, the free end 78 of thestrap 76 is fed upwardly through the slot 68 and over the arm portion66, and, after being drawn around the container 74, is again fedupwardly through the slot 68 and over the arm portion 66, wherebyportions of the strap 76 adjacent the buckle 60 are disposed inoverlapping relation. In an alternative procedure, the strap 76 may befirst looped loosely about the container 74 and the buckle 60 then slidsidewise into the position shown in FIGURES 10 and 11.

After the strap 76 has been drawn taut about the container 74, the endof the buckle 60 adjacent the finger portion 70 is raised upwardly andthe buckle 60 is swung in a direction lengthwise of the strap 76 fromthe position shown in FIGURE 10, through the solid line position shownin FIGURE 12, to the dash line position shown in FIGURE 12. Duringswinging movement of the buckle 60, the arm portion 64' serves as afulcrum, and the overlapping portions of the strap 76 adjacent the slot68 are gathered, or folded back upon themselves, whereby the strap 76 isplaced in tension about the container 74. Then to effect finaltensioning of the strap 76 and to securely anchor the buckle 60 in straptensioning position, a hammer or. like instrument is used to apply animpact force to the end of the leg portion 62 adjacent the finger 70 tothereby nail or drive the latter into the container 74 to the positionshown in FIGURES 13 and 14. In strap tensioning position, the exposedportion of the buckle 60 lies substantially flat on the container, andthe anchored finger 70 serves to prevent relative lateral shiftingbetween the buckle 60 and strap 76.

The buckle 60 may be adjusted on, or removed from, a banded assembly bypulling the locking finger 70 out of the container 74, as with a nailpuller, and permitting the buckle to swing back to the position shown inFIG- URE l0 whereupon the strap is released from tension. Then, foradjustment the strap may be urged taut and the buckle returned to straptensioning position, or for removal the ends of the strap may be unlacedfrom the buckle or the buckle slid sidewise away from engagement withthe band.

A still further embodiment of strap buckle of my present invention isindicated generally by the reference numeral 80 in FIGURE 15. The buckle80 is fabricated from a strip of wire and comprises a central elongatedleg portion 82 which includes a formed loop 84 extending generally atright angles thereto intermediate of the ends thereof. At one end, thebuckle 80 is comprised of an arm portion 86 bent generally -at rightangles to the leg portion 82 and lying in the general plane of the loop84. The leg portion 86, and the loop 84 that also serves as an armportion, define a slot 88 open on one side. At the other end, the buckle80 is comprised of a locking finger portion 90 bent into a planegenerally perpendicular to the plane of the arm portions 84 and 86 andhaving a pointed outer end 92. The buckle S0 is adapted to be used forthe same purpose and in the same manner as the buckle 60.

While I have shown and described what I believe to be preferredembodiments of my present invention, it will be understood by thoseskilled in the art that various rearrangements and modifications may bemade therein without departing from the spirit and scope of myinvention.

I claim:

1. A strap buckle comprising an elongated leg portion, a pair of armportions extending from said leg portion and being spaced apart wherebyto define a slot open on one side, an arcuate finger portion extendingfrom said leg portion and lying in a plane generally perpendicular tothe plane of said arm portions, and said finger portion being formedwith a spearhead at the outer end thereof.

2. For use with an object to be banded and a strap extending around theobject with portions overlapping; a buckle comprising an elongated legportion, a pair of arm portions extending from said leg portion andbeing spaced apart whereby to define a slot open on one side, a lockingfinger portion extending from said leg portion adjacent one end there ofand lying in a plane generally perpendicular to the plane of said armportions, and said locking finger portion being formed with a spearheadat the outer end thereof; said buckle being swingable in a directionlengthwise of the strap through ap proximately degrees to fold theportions of the strap adjacent said arm portions back upon themselves totension the strap about the object; and said locking finger portionbeing disposable into the object for selectively maintaining said bucklein a strap tensioning position.

3. A strap buckle comprising an elongated leg portion, a pair of armportions extending from said leg portion and being spaced apart wherebyto define a slot open on one side, a locking finger portion extendingfrom said leg portion adjacent one end thereof and lying in a planegenerally perpendicular to the plane of said arm portions, and saidlocking finger portion being formed with a spearhead at the outer endthereof.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 650,322 5/1900Hocker 24-71.3 1,475,245 11/ 1923 Rothermel 24-713 X 2,397,574 4/1946Thonet 8190 2,597,210 5/1952 Walters 2471.3 2,679,082 5/ 1954 Himberger247l.3 2,896,296 7/ 1959 Huber 24273 FOREIGN PATENTS 244,135 3/ 1959Australia.

485,803 10/1953 Italy.

216,886 1/ 1942 Switzerland.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

MILTON s. MEHR, Examiner.

1. A STRAP BUCKLE COMPRISING AN ELONGATED LEG PORTION, A PAIR OF ARMPORTIONS EXTENDING FROM SAID LEG PORTION AND BEING SPACED APART WHEREBYTO DEFINE A SLOT OPEN ON ONE SIDE, AN ARCUATE FINGER PORTION EXTENDINGFROM SAID LEG PORTION AND LYING IN A PLANE GENERALLY PERPEN-